1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that performs network communication, and an image forming method.
2. Related Art
It has been known that a typical image forming apparatus has a media access control (MAC) address, which is a unique ID for specifying each device connected to a network, and each device receives packets having a destination MAC address matching its own MAC address.
In addition, another typical image forming apparatus is known to have at least two modes of a normal mode and an energy saving mode in which the energy consumption is less than the normal mode. Such an image forming apparatus may include a main controller that executes image processing in the normal mode and stops operating in the energy saving mode; an energy saving controller that controls the image forming apparatus in the energy saving mode; and a network communication unit that is connected to the energy saving controller and performs network communication.
However, the image forming apparatus equipped with the network communication unit connected to the energy saving controller requires a MAC address in order for the energy saving controller to control the network communication unit. Accordingly, it is required that a nonvolatile storage unit storing this MAC address be connected to the energy saving controller.
On the other hand, the manufacturing cost of the image forming apparatus will decline if the nonvolatile storage unit connected to the energy saving controller is eliminated.
However, in the case of the nonvolatile storage unit storing the MAC address not being connected to the energy saving controller, an image forming apparatus will be required, in which the energy saving controller is configured to control the network communication unit without the nonvolatile storage unit.